Folding sewing attachment



Feb. 21, 1961 W. R. SCHINDLER FOLDING SEWING ATTACHMENT Filed March 24, 1958 INVENTOR. MHZ-A A. jay/mom? "niteoi States FOLDING SEWING ATTACHMENT Walter R. Schindler, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Hotkap Manufacturing Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a copartnership Filed Mar. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 723,371

1 Claim. (Cl. 112-147) yourself basis, to the extent that very creditable and dependable results are possible. The material used for mak ing rugs of the kind mentioned may be any one of a wide variety of materials, either cotton, wool, or synthetic; an

important requisite being that the strips be bound in,

order to give them body and the necessary resistance to tension when they are crocheted or braided into a rug or carpet fabric. Heretofore the fabric material, after being torn into strips and the strips sewed together, have generally been folded and sewn by hand. Hand sewing has many drawbacks, and not only that it is extremely slow but also in that the quality of a bound and folded strip is extremely unpredictable. When the strip is irregular and of varying tightness, no matter how skillful the rug maker may be able to perform the crocheting or braiding operation, the resulting rug will likewise be of unpredictable character and will not have the desired dependable character and uniform consistency.

It is, therefore, among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved folding and sewing attachment, by means of which a continuous strip of fabric, or

similar material, can be double-folded uniformly and de-' pendably and presented to a sewing machine for stitc h.

ing. Another object of the invention is to provide anewatent and improved foldingand sewing attachment which is- 7 capable of receiving a strip of fabric, or similar type material, the ends of which have been stitched together to form a suitably long strip and which is capable of producing a double-fold of both edges of the material, jone Another object of the invention is to provide a new machines ofa particularly simple and inexpensive charand improved folding and sewing attachment. for sewing acter and so constructed that it can be used on virtually any sewing machine by a few obvious and simple adjustments the attachment, moreover, being one easily threaded and rapidin its operation; and, furthermore, one so constructed that it is perfectly safe to adjust-and to use;

Also included among the objects of the invention is to;

provide a new and improved folding and sewing attachment'capable of double folding a strip of fabric material and flattening the fold into position at the sewing foot of the machine at a rate as fast as the machine is capable: oflsewing. The attachment moreover being small as well is dependable and" ice as rugged, and of such construction that no special skill is needed for either adjusting it into position or operat ing it once set for operation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention con sists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a top perspective view of the folding and sewing attachment shown. in position for folding a strip of material and feeding it to a sewing machine;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device of Figure l with the strip of material removed to more efffectively reveal the operating parts of the device; the attachment moreover being shown in the relationship it would have to a sewing foot and operating needle on a machine when in use; 1

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the attachment taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a'fragmentary perspective view of the end of the folding portion of the attachment'at its junction with the final folding channel, showing a piece of strip material after it has been folded and flattened into proper sewing position; and

V Figure 5 is a view of the strip after it has been stitched on the machine.

In an embodiment of. the invention chosen for thepurpose of illustration, there is shown portions of a sewing machine comprising a sewing table It? having anupper surface 11, a sewing foot llsubstantially conventional in form and arrangement, together with a needle 13 and a needle holder 13', shown in the normal position of operation with respect to the sewing foot.

The folding and sewing attachment itself comprises asa supporting medium, a frame, indicated generally by the reference character 14, which includes wings 15 and 16 extending laterally outwardly from a center portion 17. At the outer ends of the wings there are provided suction cups 18 and 19 which may be defined as friction pads adapted to afiix the frame to 'the surface 11 of the sewing table in any arbitrarily selected position. The attachment of each of the suction'cups to the respective wing is the same and consists of a slot 20 in the wing extending in a direction such as would permit the attachment to bemoved transverse with respect to a line between the centers of the wings. A threaded bolt 21 af-. fixed at the center of the pad extends upwardly through the slot and a nut 22 is used to anchor the Wing to the pad anywhere throughout the length of the slot 20 in order to provide an effective and proper adjustment. Since there is a similar adjustment on each wing, considerable versatility exists in this. portion of the structure.

The mid-portion of the attachmentcomprises a primary strip guide 25 which is adapted to cooperate with a strip 26 which may consist of .parts sewed together by transverse or obliquely transverse seams or connections 27. The strip guide, as shown to special advantage in Figure 3, is substantially semi-cylindrical in shape on one side, as viewed in Figure 3. As a matter of convenience, the strip guide has an outwardly extending flat portion made up of upper and lower parts 23 and 29 which, by being bound together, provide substantial stiffness and also provide a means of attaching the strip guide to the wing '15. Further, as a matter of structural convenience, the center portion 17, previously made reference to, may consist of upper'and lower elements 30 and 30' folded into a cage or casing at the area of the center portion, and brought together on opposite sides, forming the wings 15 and 16. .It is appreciated, however, that various. r tur ene ies? sn a n ma be employs-ch which will permit casting or molding the frame to a suitable shape for reception of the novel parts.

The strip guide 25, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, is folded over at edge portions '31 and 32 into positions spaced at considerable distance from an inside semi-cylindrical trough 33 of the strip guide. At the end-most edges, the portions 31 and 32 are joined together along an axial line 34.

Although the strip guide has been referred to generally by the reference character 25, the structure may be better explained by identifying the right-hand side, as viewed in Figure 3, as constituting an external channel element 35, the trough 33 formed therein being mounted edge- Wise in vertical position and having a breadth diminishing progressively from a flared entrance, or entrance end 36 to an exit, or exit end 37.

Nesting within the trough 33 is a second, or internal channel element 38. The internal channel element has a substantially arcuate, convex face 39 facing the trough 33. The opposite side of the internal channel element, namely, the side 40, is concave throughout its length. The internal channel element is only slightly curved, as shown, and has a breadth diminishing progressively from the entrance end 36 to the exit 37. The internal channel element is held in position by being mounted upon the ends of the edge, or side portions 31 and 32 where they join along the axial line 34. It will be noted especially that the side, or edge portions 31 and 32 are spaced at a considerable distance from the concave face 40 of the internal channel element so that there is a continuous space of special configuration extending from the convex face 33 around the edges of the internal channel element to substantially one-half the breadth on each side adjacent the concave face 40.

At the exit end 37, previously made reference to, there is provided a finlsh folding channel element 45 having an upperside 46, a lower side 47, and a bottom 48 joining the upper and lower sides along one edge of each. As shown in Figure 2, the upper and lower sides and bottom form a channel 49 which has a breadth diminishing progressively from a receiving end 50 to a delivery end 51. At the receiving end the upper and lower sides have flared Wings 52 and 53 respectively, to improve the effectiveness of the device. A stiffener rib 54 may be formed along the bottom 48 of the channel to add to the rigidity of the device, this stiifening rib extending throughout the length of the folding channel element and joining the wing 15. A baffle 55 is shown at the delivery end 51 where the delivery end is tilted downwardly until it approaches the surface 11 of the sewing table. When the device is to be mounted upon the sewing table where the pads comprise suction cups, they may be shifted about the table surface until the delivery end 51 is positioned opposite the toe of the sewing foot 12. The presence of the baffle 55 prevents the finish folding channel element from being inserted beneath the sewing foot either during this initial mounting and adjusting period or during use subsequent thereto. To achieve a still finer adjustment of the delivery end 51 with respect to the sewing foot and the needle 13, nutsZii may be loosened and the wings manipulated so as to shift the frame 14 about into a desired position of adjustment after which the nuts cna be securely tightened in place.

When the device is to be used, the strip 26 is fed into the entrance end 36, as shown in Figure 2, and, if need be, may be pushed through the attachment by making use of a wire or fiat threading tool. The space formed between sundry portions or" the exterior channel element 35 and the interior channel element 38 may be considered as a passage of somewhat irregular cross-sectional shape which is smooth surfaced throughout and extends from the entrance 35 to the exit 37.

As the strip enters the passage, the opposite sides of the strip are folded once over by the walls of the trough 33;; This is especially evident during the initial threading" of the strip into the passage when the end to be threaded is cut to a gentle point. The opposite sides of the strip, as the feeding continues through the passageway, are pulled over into that portion of the passage present between the concavely flared face 46} of the interior channel element and the adjacent side portions 31 and 32 of the exterior channel element. This may be said to constitute a. single fold of the side portions of the strip upon a mid-portion.

- As the strip emerges at the exit 37, folded as described, the strip passes into the channel 49 of the finish folding channel element 45. The opposite singly folding sides are turned over by the wings 52 and 53 and then brought together upon each other by the upper and lower sides 46 and 47 of the finish folding channel element. The sides are pressed progressively together until they are relatively fiat in contact with each other at the delivery end Sll. Thestrip 26 as it emerges from the exit end of the passage has upper and lower single folded sides 56 and 57. These single folded sides are brought together in the finish folding channel element 45 and are positioned flat against each other, forming a double folded section 58, as shown in Figures 1 and 5. The double folded section 58 passes immediately beneath the sewing foot 12 and there has the sides stitched together by a seam 59. The seam Will be located along a line such that all four thicknesses of the strip are stitched together in order to form the resulting end product of the operation.

The device herein described is clearly one such that it can be pushed around any sewing table to the most effective feeding position to the sewing foot. By having the device tilted downwardly toward the sewing foot, ample room is left remaining at the entrance end where the operator can feed a strip into the folding attachment. Once the strip has been started through the device, the folding will be performed accurately and consistently, needing only that the strip be directed toward the entrance end with some reasonable degree of care. Attention to the feeding, however, can be somewhat casual, since the attachment itself can be depended upon to produce proper equal foldings on opposite sides and to present the double-folded. strip in flat position beneath the sewing foot for stitching without any more than a minimum change in direction of the strip through the apparatus. A simple and effective attachment has, therefore, been shown and described capable of being made use of by operators of relatively limited experience.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claim so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

I claim:

For use with a sewing machine including a sewing table having an upper surface, a sewing foot, and a reciprocating needle device operable at a feeding side of said sewing foot, the combination of a sewing attachment for'double folding a strip of material before delivery to said sewing foot comprising a frame element, friction elements on laterally opposite sides of the frame element having a surface to surface engagement with the upper surface of the table mounting the frame thereon in arbitrarily selected positions on said surface and adjustable connections between said frame. element and said friction elements whereby saidfrarne element can be moved onthe friction elements toward and away from said sewing foot, an arcuate external] strip guide mounted on the frame element in position tilted downwardly toward said sewing foot and having reversely curved edges, an arcuate internal strip guide nested within said external strip guide and spaced therefrom forming a double reversely curved strip passage of progressively diminishing References Cited in the file of this patent breadth, a delivery guide mounted on the frame forming a finish folding channel in axial alignment with the UNITED STATES PATENTS strip passage, said channel having an exit end resting on 1,091,363 Martin Mar. 24, 1914 said surface adjacent the sewing foot, and a bafile 5 1,186,053 Weis June 6, 1916 forming part of the delivery guide adjacent the 1,400,530 De Voe Dec. 20, 1921 exit and extending vertically above the uppermost posi- 1,560,219 Cunningham Nov. 3, 1925 tion of said sewing foot whereby to prevent insertion of 2,542,212 Schaad Feb. 20, 1951 said delivery guide beneath said sewing foot during ad- 2,564,895 Griswold Aug. 21, 1951 10 2,688,294 McCloud Sept. 7, 1954 justment on the sewing table. 

